The room grew darker and darker as the three teens worked on some essays due the next day. The redhead crumpled up the parchment he was writing on and threw it on the flood. He sighed and exclaimed, “I give up!”

The brunette sitting across from him shook her head, “Now Ron, it really isn’t that hard.” She reached down and picked up the small ball of parchment that had landed by her foot. She smoothed it out and read what was written. “This isn’t a bad start. You just need to add a bit more detail.”

“Yeah well, it’s the detail that gets me,” Ron pouted and there were a few moments of silence between the three friends as they continued to work.

Suddenly the other brunette spoke up, “You know, I’ve been thinking. All that is gold does not glitter.”

“You shouldn’t quote people without referencing them, especially Shakespeare,” the girl scolded.

“Shake-what?” Ron asked, confusion clearly showing on his face.

“That’s not Shakespeare, Hermione. That was Tolkien. Shakespeare said ‘All that glitters is not gold’,” he corrected.

“Oh yeah, that’s right Harry.”

“What does that mean?” Ron asked, still lost and giving up on trying to figure out whom they were talking about. Instead he was focusing on what was being said.

“It means that the important things in life are not always blaringly obvious,” Hermione explained.

“Oh.” Harry looked thoughtful for a moment and when he didn’t say anything, Ron asked, “What made you think of that?”

“You guys. My life was crap before coming to Hogwarts, and now it’s so much better. You even make the whole Voldemort-trying-to-kill-me thing ok. You two are my gold.” Harry gave them a crooked smile.

Hermione looked at her friend with tear-filled eyes, “That’s so sweet!” She then wrapped her arms around the other brunette in a tight hug. A moment passed and finally she pulled away.

Ron just smiled at Harry, “You’re my best mate too.”